OKC Thunder: No longer dancing – Re-grading Cam Payne

Cameron Payne’s time with the OKC Thunder

Payne had NBA swagger since the moment Adam Silver called his name on draft night. The issue is, the scrappy point guard did not have much else.

His career can be summed up by the fact he has more dance highlight reels than highlight plays. However, unlike some NBA Draft busts, at least he is memorable. Who could forget his awesome dances with Russell Westbrook?

If you grew tired of Cam Payne’s dancing shtick, you were not alone. The Dallas Mavericks hated it so much, they sent Charlie Villanueva and Justin Anderson to the scorers’ table prior to a playoff tilt to break up the dance party.

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Cam Payne’s stint with the OKC Thunder lasted just 77 games, but it did earn him enough value to be cast-off to Chi-town in return for Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott.

In Bricktown, Payne averaged five points per game, with two assists, a rebound, and just a tick above 30 percent from beyond the arc.

The former Murray State guard’s best game came during his rookie season against the savvy Spurs. The flamboyant rookie put up 17 points with seven assists and three rebounds in that contest. However, even his best game had lowlights.

In that loss to the Spurs, Payne shot just 40 percent while turning the ball over a devastating six times. That was his lone start as a member of the Thunder, and in a four-point loss, those turnovers were costly.

After a three year stint in the windy city, Payne bolted for Cleveland before his NBA career stalled.